1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reagent preparing devices, reagent preparing methods, and specimen processing systems, and in particular, to a reagent preparing device, a reagent preparing method, and a specimen processing system capable of preparing the reagent to use in the measurement of the specimen.
2. Description of the Related Art
A reagent preparing device capable of preparing the reagent to use in the measurement of the specimen is conventionally known (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,056).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,056 discloses a reagent preparing device including a reagent quantifying tank for accommodating a high concentration reagent, a pure water quantifying tank for accommodating pure water, and a preparing tank for preparing the reagent when the high concentration reagent is transferred from the reagent quantifying tank and the pure water is transferred from the pure water quantifying tank. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,056 does not disclose nor suggest the technique of reducing the power consumption.
A technique of reducing the power consumption is known (see e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-271309). Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-271309 discloses a specimen pre-processing system device including a barcode printer for barcode label attached to a test tube for accommodating the specimen, and a barcode reader for reading the barcode label attached to the test tube. The specimen pre-processing system device turns OFF the power supply when not operating and turns ON the power supply immediately before the operation (one second before operation) and again turns OFF the power supply when the operation is terminated for the barcode printer and the barcode reader. The power consumption of the barcode printer for the barcode label attached to the test tube and the barcode reader used in the specimen pre-processing system device thus can be reduced.
However, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-271309 merely discloses a technique of reducing the power consumption of the barcode printer for the barcode label attached to the test tube and the barcode reader used in the specimen pre-processing system device, and does not describe reducing the power consumption of a reagent preparing device.